Sewing machine and feed table assemblage



Feb. 1, 1955 D. A. WILSON 2,700,947

SEWING MACHINE AND FEED TABLE ASSEMBLAGE Feb. 1, 1955 D. A. WILSON SEWING MACHINE AND FEED TABLE ASSEMBLAGE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 7, 1952 INVENToR. ogm d. -[d/271 BY l Feb. 1, 1955 D. A. WILSON SEWING MACHINE AND FEED TABLE ASSEMBLAGE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 7, 1952 l INVENTOR. @M d. Z1/Mm,

Feb. 1, 1955 D. A. wlLsoN 2,700,947

SEWING MACHINE AND FEED TABLE ASSEMBLAGE Filed May '7, 1952 6 Sheets-SheeI 4 BY mme@ W70/Me@ Feb. 1, 1955 D. A. wlLsoN 297009947 SEWING MACHINE AND FEED TABLE ASSEMBLAGE Filed May 7, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 1, 1955 D. A. WILSON ,YUUMT SEWING MACHINE AND FEED TABLE ASSEMBLAGE Filed May 7, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 United States Patent O SEWING MACHINE AND FEED TABLE ASSEMBLAGE David A. Wilson, Sheboygan, Wis., assignor to Hayssen Manufacturing Company, Sheboygan, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application May 7, 1952, Serial No. 286,467

4 Claims. (Cl. 112-10) This invention relates to improvements in sewing machine and feed table assemblages, particularly adapted for forming seams in the edge portions of fabric units.

Fabric sacks or the like are customarily manufactured for use in the packing of commodities or for use as pillowcases. In the commercial manufacture of these items, an extent of fabric is folded longitudinally upon itself and the same is then secured in tube formation by a longitudinal seam sewed along the free edges of the folded material. Subsequently, one of the ends of the tube thus formed is closed by a transverse seam with the result that the finished product is a cloth or heavy paper bag open at one end. Within the contemplation of the invention it is also possible with the improved assemblage to form seams along selected edge portions of single layered material to produce towels, washcloths, or the like.

Ordinarily, when forming fabric units of the type mentioned having selected edges thereof seamed or hemmed, it is necessary for an operator to manually present the desired edges of the units to the sewing machine and to then guide and manually handle the material.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a sewing machine and feed table assemblage whereby successive units or folded sheet material have selected edge portions thereof presented to a sewing machine head or heads which provide the desired seam or seams in the material while the successive units are being automatically advanced and without any manual handling thereof.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a sewing machine and feed table assemblage of the character described in which the automatically driven portions thereof can be regulated as to speed of operation.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide means in an assemblage of the character described for positively and rmly holding the material or units in a secure flattened position while the same are travelling adjacent the sewing head and are being operated on thereby.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide a sewing machine and work table assemblage wherein the successive work units, after being operated on by the sewing head, are automatically deposited on a stacking table which automatically lowers to accommodate the successively increasing height of the pile of finished units.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a sewing machine and feed table assemblage, an automatic stacking table which, when it reaches its furthest position of descent and therefore contains an adequate stack of finished units, automatically shuts ot the power to the machine drive to prevent operation of the machine until the stacking table has been unloaded and raised to its uppermost position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sewing machine and feed table assemblage which is automatic and rapid in its operation, which is easily adjusted and controlled, which requires a minimum of attention, and which is well adapted for the purposes set forth.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists of the improved sewing machine and feed table assemblage and all of its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

ln the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the front or feed end of the improved sewing machine and feed table assemblage;

Fig. 2 is a perspective side view of the assemblage;

Fig. 3 is a perspective end and side view of the assemblage viewed from the side opposite that shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rear or discharge end of the improved sewing machine and feed table assemblage;

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the complete drive and control mechanism for the assemblage;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective View showing the hread shear mechanism and the operating means there- Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective, semi-schematic view showing the control and actuating mechanism for the stacking table;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail view showing the control and operating mechanism for the doffer bars;

Fig. 9 is a side view of the drive mechanism for certain of the table belts;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side View of the means for raising and tilting certain of the table belts; and

Fig. ll is a fragmentary side view of the means for causing intermittent drive of the feed belts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral indicates a generally rectangular open type frame. The frame 15 is provided at one end with an over-hanging portion 16 on which are fixedly mounted a plurality of spaced parallel longitudinally extending ribs or bars 17 having similarly angled upper surfaces, as shown in Fig. 1. A pair of longitudinally extending levers 18 and 19 are pivotally connected intermediate their length to opposite sides of the frame portion 16, as at 18 and 19 respectively. The corresponding ends of the levers 18 and 19 rotatably carry transverse shafts 20 and 21.

The shaft 20 has fixed thereon a plurality of equally spaced substantially identical pulleys 22 which are positioned in longitudinal alinement with the spaces between the longitudinal bars 17. A similar set of pulleys 23 is fixed on the shaft 21, the pulleys 23 being longitudinally alined with the bars 17, and hence laterally offset from the pulleys 22.

Referring to Figs. 3, 9, 10 and ll, a transverse shaft 24 is journalled in suitable bearings on the frame 1S for rotation on an axis which is parallel with and preferably in substantially the same horizontal plane as the axes of the pivots 18 and 19. A plurality of spaced pulleys 25 are fixed to the shaft 24 in longitudinal alinement with the pulleys 22 on the shaft 20. At the opposite end of the frame from the shaft 20 (the rear or discharge end), a transverse shaft 26 is journalled for rotation on an axis parallel with and preferably in substantially the same horizontal plane as the axis of the shaft 24. A plurality of equally spaced pulleys 27 are ixedly mounted on the shaft 26 in longitudinal alinement with the pulleys 23 on the shaft 21. A plurality of endless belts 28 connect the pulleys 27 and 23, and a plurality of endless belts 29 connect the pulleys 22 and 25.

A transverse shaft 30 is mounted in suitable bearings above the shaft 24, and a plurality of equally spaced pulleys 31 are fixed on the shaft 30 in longitudinal alinement with the belts 29. A driving sprocket 32 is fixed on one end of the shaft 30. A transverse shaft 33 is spaced a short distance rearwardly of the shaft 30 and is mounted in suitable bearings for rotation on an axis parallel with and in substantially the same horizontal plane as the axis of the shaft 30. A plurality of equally spaced pulleys 34 are fixed on the shaft 33 in longitudinal alinement with the pulleys 31 011 the shaft 30. A plurality of endless belts 35 connect the pulleys 34 and 31, as shown. The lower stretches of the belts 35 are interposed between and are preferably in the same horizontal plane as the upper stretches of the belts 28.

A transverse shaft 36 is mounted in suitable bearings adjacent to and parallel with the shaft 26, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. A gear 41 is fixed to one end portion of the shaft 36. A plurality of spaced arms or bars 37 are xed radially to the shaft 36 and extend in the same plane. The bars 37 are positioned between the belts 28 and are normally positioned below the upper stretches of the belts 28, as shown in Fig. 4. A transverse shaft 38 is journalled in suitable bearings below the shaft 36, and fixed to the shaft 38 is a gear quadrant 39 which meshes with the gear 41 (Figs. 4 and 8). A longitudinally extending rod 40 is pivotally connected to the quadrant 39, as shown in Fig. 8, said rod being connected at its other end with mechanism for causing longitudinal reciprocation of said rod. The reciprocating mechanism will be described hereinafter. Reciprocation of the rod 40 causes pivoting of the quadrant 39 which, in turn, causes approximately 180 rotation of the gear 41, shaft 36, and bars 37. Fig. 2 shows the bars 37 in partially rotated position.

As shown in Figs. l, 2 and 4, a sewing head 42 is mounted on one side of the frame 15 adjacent the lower stretches of the belts 35 and the upper stretches of the belts 28. The sewing head 42 is provided with a driving pulley 43. A shear mechanism 44 is mounted adjacent the sewing head 42 and has a pivotally mounted shear blade 45 to which is pivotally connected an actuating rod 46. The actuating mechanism for the shear 45 is shown in Fig. 6, and will be described in detail hereinafter.

A stacking table assembly 47 is positioned at the rear or discharge end of the frame 15. The assembly 47 is comprised of a rectangular frame 48 which may have a generally H-shaped top 49, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. Preferably, four upstanding screws 50 have their lower ends extending through suitable apertures (not shown) in the corners of the plate 49. Each of the screws 50 has threaded thereon a sprocket 51 which, in turn, is mounted on a suitable bearing 52 surrounding the shaft and carried by the plate 49. The screws 50 are supported by the plate 49 through the bearings 52 and sprockets 51. The upper ends of the screws 50 are journaled in suitable bearings carried on the under side of a vertically movable table 53.

An inverted U-shaped bracket 54 is fixed to the upper surface of the central portion of the plate 49, said bracket having a horizontal extent spaced above and parallel with said plate. A vertical shaft 55 extends upwardly through a suitable bearing in the plate 49, and has its upper end journaled in a suitable bearing in the horizontal extent of the bracket 54. As shown most clearly in Fig. 7, a sprocket 56 is keyed to the shaft 55 above the plate 49, and above the sprocket 56 a lever 57 is loosely pivoted on said shaft. Above the lever 57 a ratchet wheel 61 is keyed to the shaft 55, and the lever 57 carries a pawl 58 which is engageable with the ratchet wheel 61, as shown in Fig. 7.

An endless chain 59 connects the sprocket 56 with the sprockets 51 in the manner shown in Fig. 7, so that counterclockwise rotation of the sprocket 56 causes clockwise rotation of the sprocket 51. Clockwise rotation of sprockets 51 causes the screws 50 and table 53 to move vertically downwardly. A reciprocatory rod 60 is pivotally connected to the end of the lever 57 opposite the pawl 58, reciprocation of the rod 60 causing oscillatory movement of the lever 57. This movement of lever 57 causes the pawl 58 to engage the ratchet wheel 61 and rotate the latter counterclockwise. Rotation of the ratchet wheel 61 imparts like rotation to the shaft 55 and sprocket 56. If desired, suitable idler sprockets 62 may be used to keep the chain 59 in tightened condition, in the manner shown in Fig. 4. The mechanism just described is normally covered by a box-like cover 48', shown in Figs. l and 3.

The vertical shaft 55 projects below the plate 49 and is provided with a beveled gear (not shown) which meshes with a beveled gear 67 (see Fig. l) carried by a horizontal shaft 63 (Fig. 4). The shaft 63 is mounted in suitable bearings carried by the frame 48 and has an outer end projecting rearwardly of said frame. The shaft 63 is formed with a set of clutch jaws 64 spaced inwardly from its outer end, and freely pivoted on the outer end of the shaft 63 of a crank 65. The crank 65 is provided with a set of clutch iaws 66, and the crank is movable axially on the shaft 63 to cause the clutch jaws 64 and 66 to inter-engage. Thus, by releasing the pawl 58 and rotating the crank 65 with the clutch jaws engaged, the shaft 55 and sprocket 56 can be rotated in a clockwise direction to thereby cause vertical upward movement of thelscrews 50 and table 53 to reset the latter for a new cyc e.

Referring to Figs. l and 3, a shaft 63 extends transv versely of the frame 15 below the shaft 21 and is journaled in suitable bearings. Spaced below the shaft 68 is a transverse shaft 69 (Fig. 3) which is also journaled in suitable bearings carried by the frame 15. A transverse rock shaft 70 is positioned intermediate the shafts 68 and 69 and has its ends suitably supported by the frame 15.

Referring to Figs. l and 3, a relatively large diameter pulley 71 is freely rotatably mounted on the left hand end of the shaft 69 outwardly of the frame 15. A suitable clutch is provided for directly connecting the pulley 71 to the shaft 69, and in the illustrated embodiment this clutch is of the drum type. The pulley 71 is formed with an annular rim or drum 72, and keyed to the shaft 69 is a plate member 73 having integral therewith a pair of sub stantially semi-circular bands 74 and 75. One end of the band 74 is xed to one end of the plate member 73, and one end of the band 75 is fixed to the opposite end of the plate member 73, diametrically opposite the connected end of the other band. A pair of generally L- shaped levers 76 and 77 are pivotally mounted on the plate member 73, and each of said levers has an arm in engagement with the free end of one of the bands '74 and 75. The bands 74 and 75 are normally out of contact with the drum 72. An annular cone member 78 is positioned on the shaft 69 outwardly of the plate member 73 and is movable axially of said shaft. The cone member 78 is connected to a yoke 79 which, in turn, forms part of a lever 80 pivotally mounted at one end on a suitable bracket 81 carried by the frame 15. Inward movement of the yoke 79 and cone member 78 causes the latter to spread the inwardly directed arms of the levers 76 and 77 outwardly, said lever movement forcing the bands 74 and 75 into tight frictional engagement with the drum 72 to form a direct driving connection between the pulley 71 and shaft 69.

A transverse rod 82 is mounted for axial movement in a pair of bearings 83 carried by the front end of the frame 15. The rod 82 projects laterally outwardly of the pulley 71 to a pivotal connection 84 with the free end of the lever 80. A pair of vertical rods 85 and 86 are pivotally mounted intermediate their length on bearings 87 and 88 respectively (Fig. l), which are mounted on opposite sides of the frame portion 16. The upper ends of the rods 85 and 86 may be provided with manually engageable knobs 89 and 90. The lower ends of the rods 85 and 86 are formed with eye portions 91 and 92 for receiving the rod 82, and fixed on the shaft 82 on each side of the eye portions 91 and 92 are collars 93. It is apparent that movement of either knob 89 or 90 to the left, as viewed in Figs. l to 3, swings the lever 80 toward the pulley 71 and engages the clutch. Conversely, movement of either of the knobs 89 to 90 to the right, as viewed in Figs. l to 3 disengages the clutch.

As shown most clearly in Figs. l and 3, a main drive motor 94 is mounted on a longitudinally adjustable platform 95, said platform, in turn, being mounted within the frame 15 and having an adjustment screw 96 for selectively varying the longitudinal position thereof. The motor 94 has a shaft 97 provided with a spring loaded variable width V-belt pulley 98, and an endless V-belt 99 connects the pulley 98 with the pulley 71.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 and 5, the end portion of the shaft 69 opposite the pulley 71 has fixed thereto a relatively large gear 100 and a relatively small gear 101. The relatively small gear 101 meshes with a relatively large gear 102 which is keyed to a stub shaft 103 mounted in suitable bearings in the frame 15. Another stub shaft 104 is mounted in suitable bearings adjacent the stub shaft 103, and a pair of timing gears 105 and 106 are removably keyed to the stub shafts 103 and 104 respectively, and mesh with each other. The gear 106 meshes with a relatively large gear 107 which is keyed to the adjacent end of the transverse shaft 68, thus completing the gear train through which rotative power is transmitted from the shaft 69 to the shaft 68. A sprocket 108 is keyed to the shaft 68 adja cent the gear 107, and an endless chain 109 connects the szprocket 108 with the sprocket 32, as shown in Fig.

Referring to Figs. l and 5, the shaft 68 has fixed thereon cams 110, 111, 112, 113 and 114. The cams 113 and 114 are positioned outwardly of the left hand side of the frame 15, as viewed in Figs. l to 3. Mounted on the s haft 68 adjacent the cam 112 is a gear 115 which meshes with a smaller gear 116 mounted on a stub shaft 117 which is journaled in a suitable bearing 118, carried by the frame 15. A sprocket 119 is fixed to the stub shaft 117 adjacent the gear 116, and an endless chain 120 connects the sprocket 119 with a sprocket 121 keyed on the shaft 26 (see Figs. 3 and 9), to provide a driving connection for the latter shaft and belts 28.

Referring to Figs. l to 3 and 5, the relatively large gear 100 mounted on the shaft 69 meshes with a pinion 122 keyed on a stub shaft 123 whichis mounted in a suitable bearing carried by the frame 15. Also keyed on the stub shaft 123 is a V-belt pulley 124. A relatively short transverse shaft 125 is mounted in suitable bearings on a platform 126 which is longitudinally adjustably mounted on the frame 15 below the sewing head 42. The mounting for the platform 126 is provided with an adjustment screw 127 for positioning the platform 126 and shaft 125 in a selected longitudinal position. Fixed to the inner end of the shaft 125 is a spring loaded variable width V-belt pulley 128, and an endless belt 129 connects the pulley 124 with the pulley 128. A pulley 130 is keyed to the outer end of the shaft 125, and an endless belt 131 connects the pulley 130 to the pulley 43, as shown in Fig. 2.

The speed of the shaft 125 with respect to the speed of the shafts 123 and 69 can be readily varied by turning the adjustment screw 127 to thereby vary the effective diameter of the pulley 128. Similarly, the speed of the pulley 71 relative to the speed of the pulley 98 can be readily varied by turning the adjustment screw 96 to vary the effective diameter of the pulley 98.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 10, the rear end of the lever 19 carries a depending arm 132 on the lower end of which is mounted a cam following roller 133. A spring 134 (Fig. 3) is anchored to the frame 15 at its lower end, and has its upper end connected to the rear end portion of the lever 19 adjacent the arm 132 to hold the cam roller 133 against the cam 113.

As best shown in Fig. 10, the bars 17 normally project above the upper stretches of the belts 29, whereas the upper stretches of the belts 28 are normally in the same horizontal plane as those of the belts 29. When, however, the roller 133 engages the cutaway portion 113 of the cam 113, the levers 18 and 19 pivot to the dot and dash line position of Fig. l0, thus lowering the shaft 21 and raising the shaft 20 to the dot and dash line position of Fig. l0. This movement lowers the pulleys 23 and the portion of the belts 28 adjacent thereto, and raises the pulleys 22 to the dot and dash line position shown. The upper stretches of the belts 29 are thereby raised above the upper surfaces of the bars 17 to the dot and dash line position of Fig. 10.

Fig. 2 shows a fabric tube 135 supported on the upper surfaces of the bars 17 with the belts 29 in their normal position below the upper surfaces of said bars. When, however, the belts 29 are raised to the dot and dash line position of Fig. l0, the tube 135 is supported entirely by the upper stretches of the belts 29 and is substantially out of contact with the bars 17. There is normally no rotation imparted to the pulleys 22 and 25. However, when the belts 29 are in raised position, the shaft 24 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 10, to cause the upper stretches of the belts 29 to move rearwardly. The mechanism for imparting rotation to shaft 24 will now be described.

Referring to Fig. 4, a pinion 136 is freely rotatably mounted on the shaft 24 and is connected to a one-way clutch 137 also mounted on the shaft 24. The oneway clutch 137 may be of any suitable well known construction which imparts rotation to the shaft 24 only when the pinion 136 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1l. A reciprocatable rack 138 rests on and meshes with the pinion 136 and slides within an inverted channel member 139 which is tixedly mounted on frame 15, as shown in Fig. 3. The rack 138 has a forward end portion formed with a longitudinal slot 140, and the upper surface of said slotted portion is formed with a transverse V-groove 141. A leaf spring 142 is xed at one end to the channel 139 and has a bent free end portion positionable in the transverse groove 141 when the rack 138 is in its uppermost position.

A transverse pin 143 is slidably positioned in the slot and has its opposite ends connected to the sides of a generally U-shaped carrier 144. The carrier 144 has an arcuate lower surface, as at 144 and is pivotally connected to one end of a link 145 and the other end of said link is pivotally connected to a crank arm 146 xed on the projecting end of the shaft 117. The slot 140 is formed adjacent its upper end with a transverse rectangular bottom wall groove 147, and a rectangular dog travels in the slot 140 and is adapted to be removably positionable in the transverse groove 147. The dog 148 is also carried by the carrier 144.

With further reference to Fig. 1l, it will appear that a lever 149 is pivotally mounted intermediate its length on a pin 150 carried by the frame 15. One end of the lever 149 carries a cam following roller 151 which engages the peripheral surface of the cam 114. The other end of the lever 149 is pivotally connected to an eXtensible upstanding link 152. A link 153 has one end pivotally connected to the pin 150 and has its opposite end pinned to the other end of the link 152. The connected ends of the links 152 and 153 carry a roller 154 which is engageable with the lower surface portion 144J of the member 144. The connected ends of the links 152 and 153 are also connected to one end of a tension spring 155 which has its other end anchored to the frame 15 as at 156. The spring 155 urges the roller 154 downwardly and urges the cam following roller 151 upwardly into engagement with the cam 114.

It is apparent that when the roller 154- holds the member 144 and dog 148 in the upwardly pivoted position shown, rotation of the crank 146 causes dog 148 and pin 143 to reciprocate in the slot 140 without imparting any movement to the rack 138. When, however, the cam roller 151 engages the low portion 157 of cam 114 to thereby lower the roller 154, the dog 148 drops into the groove 147, and rotation of the crank 146 then causes reciprocation of the rack 138 through dog 148 and link 145. During downward (forward) movement of the rack 138 no rotation is imparted to the shaft 24 through the one-way clutch 137 (Fig. 4), but during upward (rearward) movement of the rack 138 counter-clockwise rotation of the shaft 24 as viewed in Figs. 9 to l1, occurs.

The shaft 117 is geared to rotate at twice the speed of the shaft 68, so that the member 144, dog 148, and pin 143, are reciprocated twice for each revolution of the shaft 68. The contour of the cam 114 is such that during one reciprocation of the member 144 the roller 154 holds the dog 148 raised out of the groove 147 to prevent reciprocation of the rack 138, whereas during the succeeding reciprocation of the member 144 the roller 154 is lowered away from the member 144 to permit the dog 148 to drop into the groove 147 and cause reciprocation of the rack 148. During the time that the dog 148 is lifted out of the groove 147, the free end of the spring 142 is seated in the groove 141 and this prevents movement of the rack 138.

Referring now to Figs. l, 5 and 6, a bell crank lever 158, having a relatively short arm 159 and an elongated rearwardly extending arm 160, is pivotally mounted on the rock shaft 70. The arm 159 carries a cam following roller 159' which engages the periphery of the cam 110. A vertically extending tension spring 161 has its upper end connected to the arm 160 and has its lower end suitably anchored to the frame 15. The rear end of the arm 160 is connected to the lower end of the rod 46. It is apparent that the spring 161 urges the cam following roller 160 into engagement with the periphery of the cam 110 and normally holds the sheer blade 45 in raised position. The cam 110 is provided with a raised portion 162, and once during each revolution of the shaft 68 the portion 162 engages the roller 159 to pivot the lever 158 in a manner to swing the shear blade 45 downwardly in a shearing operation.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 7, a bell crank lever 163 is pivotally mounted on the rock shaft 70, a cam following roller 164 being carried by one arm thereof and being held in engagement with the periphery of the cam 111. The other arm of the lever 163 is slotted as at 165, and a pin 166 is adjustably fixed in the slot 165 and is pivotally connected to the rod 60. One revolution of the shaft 68 and cam 111 causes one oscillation of the levers 163 and 57, to thereby cause the pawl 58 to rotate the ratchet wheel 61 one notch. This fractional rotation of the wheel 61 is transmitted to the shaft 55 and sprocket 56, and chain 59 then transmits this movement to the sprockets 51 to cause a predetermined lowering of the screws and stacking table 53.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 4, a normally closed switch 171 is mounted on the frame 15 below the stacking table 53. The switch 171 is connected into the line of the main drive motor 94 and has a swingably mounted arm 172 which carries a roller 173. The switch 171 also has a depressable button 174 which is engageable by the arm 172. When the table 53 is lowered to a predetermined position, it engages the roller 173. Further lowering of the table 53 swings the arm 172 downwardly to depress the button 174 and breaks the circuit to the motor 94, thus stopping the machine.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 8, one end of a lever 167 is pivotally connected to the rock shaft and carries a cam following roller 168. The roller 168 is normally held against the periphery of the cam 112 by a spring 169 which has one end anchored to the frame 15 and has its other end connected to the free end of the lever 167.

The free end of the lever 167 is also pivotally connected to the forward end of the rod 40. The cam 112 is provided with a concave peripheral portion 170, and once during each revolution of the shaft 68 the roller 168 moves into the portion 170 of the cam to swing the lever 167 forwardly, thus pivoting the quadrant 39 counterclockwise and rotating the pinion 41, shaft 36 and doifer bars 37 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 8) approximately 180 degrees. As the roller 168 moves out of the concave cam portion 170, the lever 167 swings forward to its normal position shown in Fig. 8, thus returning quadrant 39, pinion 41, shaft 36 and doffer bars 37 to their normal positions.

Operation The operation of the improved machine will now be described:

A fabric tube or the like, such as the tube of Fig. 2, is placed on the bars 17 while the levers 18 and 19 and belts 29 are in their normal positions shown in Fig. 10. Movement of either knob 89 or 90 to the left as viewed in Figs. 1 to 3, engages the clutch on pulley 71, and the motor 94 thereafter drives the shafts 69, 68, 125 and 117. Rotation of the shaft 68 brings the cutaway portion 113 of the cam 113 into contact with the roller 133, and the belts 29 are thereby raised to the dot and dash line position of Fig. 10 while the belts 28 are lowered to the dot and dash line position of Fig. 10.

While the belts 29 are in this position, the cam 114 permits the roller 154 (Fig. 1l) to drop away from the member 144, and the dog 148 drops into the groove 147. The rack 138 is then reciprocated by rotation of the crank 146, and as the rack moves upwardly (forwardly) it rotates the shaft 24 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 9, 10 and 11. This causes the upper stretches of the belts 29 to move rearwardly, and the tube 135 is thereby moved to the upper stretches of the belts 28. The cam 113 then raises the roller 133 and shaft 21 to return the belts 29 and 28 to the normal positions shown in Fig. 10.

The tube 135 is then moved along the upper stretches of the belts 28 and underneath the belts 35. The lower stretches of the belts 35 coact with the upper stretches of the belts 28 to rmly hold the tube therebetween. As the tube passes between said belts, the edge portion thereof adjacent the sewing head 42 is provided with a closing seam by said head, which applies a seam to said edge portion as the tube is moved there-past by the belts. As the tube moves rearwardly beyond the sewing head 42 and out from under the belts 35, an extent of thread trails from the seam which has been applied to the tube. This thread passes between the blades of the shear mechanism 44, and as the trailing edge of the tube passes the sbear44, the portion 162 of the cam 110 (Fig. 6) actuares the lever 158, and the movable blade 45 swings downwardly to sever the trailing thread adjacent the trailing edge of the sewn tube.

The sewn tube is now positioned on the upper stretches of the belts 28 over the doffer bars 37 which are in their normal reclining position shown in Figs. 4 and 8. At this instant, the roller 168 (Fig. 8) engages the portion 170 of the cam 112, and the dofer bars swing rearwardly toward the stacking table 53 approximately degrees, to thereby lift the sewn tube otf the belts 28 and deposit said tube in inverted position on the stacking table 53. The cam portion 170 then moves away from the roller 168 and the doffer bars 37 are 8 l immediately returned to their normal reclining position. As the sewn tube is deposited on the table 53, the cam 111 actuates the lever 163 (Fig. 7), which, in turn, causes rotation of the ratchet wheel 61 and sprocket 56 a predetermined fraction of a revolution. This causes the screws 50 and table 53 to lower a predetermined amount to thus maintain the top of the stack of work on table 53 at a predetermined level.

As soon as a tube to be sewn has moved off the belts 29, the machine is ready to receive a successive tube on the bars 17. Such tubes are automatically advanced onto the belts 28 at the proper time. As successive tubes are continuously fed to the machine for sewing, the machine automatically sews the tubes and deposits them on the stacking table 53. By the time a predetermined number of sewn tubes have been deposited on the table 53, said table will have been lowered into contact with the switch roller 173 (see Fig. 4). Further operation of the machine lowers the table 53 and causes the same to actuate the switch 171 and thereby interrupt the flow of power to the main drive motor 94.

Further operation of the machine is impossible until the table 53 is raised out of contact with the roller 173 by means of the crank 65. When the switch 171 is tripped by the table 53 the operator moves the knobs 89 or 90 to the right to disengage the clutch on pulley 171 so that when the table 53 is subsequently raised out of contact with the roller 173, the machine will not operate until the operator again engages the clutch. The sewn tubes on the table 53 are then removed, and after the table is raised to starting position, the clutch is engaged to re-operate the machine.

While in the specic embodiment illustrated there is but a single sewing head 42 along one side of the table for the purpose of forming a seam in the progressing fabric or work in a direction coextensive with the path of travel of the work, it is, of course, obvious that within the contemplation of the invention another sewing head 42 could be positioned on the other side of the machine table immediately opposite the illustrated sewing head 42. ln this manner as the work progresses, lines of stitching or seams adjacent both margins of the work or fabric can be accomplished if desired. Alternatively, with the double sewing head arrangement as mentioned, a pair of overlapped tubes or work units could be advanced simultaneously presenting an end edge of one unit to one sewing head, and an end edge of the other tube or unit to the other sewing head. Thus, two pieces of work could be operated on simultaneously.

The work to be operated on, which has been described as being a fabric tube 135, is customarily a sheet of cloth or heavy paper folded upon itself and adapted to ultimately have two of the margins (other than that formed by the fold) sewed to thereby form a sack, bag, or pillowcase. The machine is also capable of handling sections of single ply fabric which are to have their edges sewed or hemmed to form towels, washcloths, or the like.

The improved sewing machine and feed table assemblage is automatic and rapid in its operation and, as was heretofore noted, the speed of operation of the feed belts may be regulated. The lower stretches of the belts 35 in cooperation with the upper stretches of the belts 28 serve to hold the fabric or work very rmly during the sewing operation. The stacking table 53 automatically drops step by step upon receiving each successive sewn tube or fabric unit until it supports a full pile of finished units. At the fully lowered position of the stacking table the drive for the entire machine is automatically interrupted and the machine cannot be restarted until the table is unloaded and raised.

The improved sewing machine and feed table assemblage is easily controlled and requires a minimum of attention on the part of the operator, is fast and eicient in its operation, and is well adapted for the purposes described.

What is claimed as the invention is:

l. ln combination, a frame forming a main table having a feed end and a discharge end, work advancing belts for fabric operatively mounted in the feed end of said table. combination feed and work hold-down belts operatively mounted in an intermediate portion of said table, a sewing head mounted on the table intermediate the ends thereof and along the path of travel of the last-mentioned belts, to operate on edge portions of fabric firmly held between the advancing belts and the work hold-down belts, an automatically operating adjustable stacking table associated with the discharge end of the main table, and automatically operating, timed dofer mechanism to transfer work from the discharge end of the main table to the stacking table.

2. ln combination, a main table having a feed end and a discharge end, powered work advancing means operatively mounted in said table, a power operated sewing head mounted on the table intermediate the ends thereof and along the path of travel of said work advancing means, an adjustable stacking table associated with the discharge end of the main table to receive successive work units, cam controlled mechanical means for automatically steppedly lowering said stacking table for each successive work unit received thereon, said stacking table having a limited fully lowered position, a control switch for the power operated means, means for automatically operating said switch upon attainment of the fully lowered position of the stacking table, and means for manually raising said stacking table to a fully raised position, the movement of said table to its raised position re-setting said switch to initiate operation of the power operated means.

3. In combination, a main table having a feed end and a rear end, powered work advancing means operatively mounted in said table, a power operated sewing head mounted on the table intermediate the ends thereof and along the path of travel of said work advancing means, an adjustable stacking table associated with the rear end of the main table to receive successive work units, power operated doifer mechanism for transferring successive sewed work units to the stacking table, mechanical means for automatically steppedly lowering said stacking table for each successive work unit received thereon, said stacking table having a limited fully lowered position, a control switch for the power operated means,

means for automatically operating said switch upon attainment of the fully lowered position of the stacking table, and means for manually raising said stacking table to a fully raised position, the movement of said table to its raised position re-setting said switch to initiate operation of the power operated means.

4. In combination, a sewing machine and table assemblage having a discharge end; a main drive motor; a cam shaft driven by said motor; a vertically movable stacking table positioned adjacent the discharge end of said assemblage; mechanism driven by said cam shaft for transferring sewn fabric articles from the discharge end of the assemblage onto said stacking table; mechanism driven by said cam shaft in timed relationship with said transferring mechanism for causing stepped lowering of said stacking table an amount approximately corresponding to the thickness of one of the sewn articles each time said transferring mechanism is actuated; and a normally closed switch connected in the power line to said main drive motor and positioned for actuation to open position by said table upon lowering of said table to a predetermined position, thereby stopping said main drive motor.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 842,741 Young Ian. 29, 1907 858,005 Lowe June 25, 1907 1,187,057 Foster June 13, 1916 1,642,274 Stendahl et al. Sept. 13, 1927 1,780,005 Crawford Oct. 28, 1930 1,833,292 Kriek Nov. 24, 1931 2,115,282 Potdevin Apr. 26, 1938 2,190,572 Schottenberg Feb. 13, 1940 2,610,595 West Sept. 16, 1952 

